Japan's Masato Uchishiba retained the 66kg judo gold. Champion in Athens, he was making his comeback having missed out on last year's World Championships

Croatia's water polo team believe their team moustaches, grown especially for Beijing, will prove their lucky charm at the Olympics. The world champions showed up for Sunday's game against Italy sporting everything from a few wisps of hair to full moustaches. ''It's for good luck, but we can't talk about it, it's a secret, if I tell you, it will ruin it,'' Igor Hinic told Reuters. ''Maybe it's working, it worked today, but it's too early to tell,'' Hinic said after Croatia beat Italy 11:7. The team began cultivating facial hair after goalkeeper Josip Pavic showed up to a training camp with a moustache. 

Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou has been barred from competing in the Beijing Games because of her involvement in a doping scandal four years ago, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Sunday. Thanou and fellow Greek sprinter Costas Kenteris were at the heart of the biggest Olympic doping affair in years when they missed a drugs test just before the Athens 2004 Games. The case brought the Olympic movement into disrepute, the IOC said. 

Thai weightlifter Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon not only has one of the longest names of the Olympics, but also one of the luckiest. A fortune-telling nun advised the 24-year-old last year to change her name from Chanpim Kantatian to improve her luck, and the charm seems to have worked - Prapawadee won her first Olympic gold medal in the women's 53kg class on Sunday. "A fortune teller told me if I changed my name I would go far, so I changed it," she said after win.

Beijing, August 10
Michael Phelps dominated his first event of the Beijing Olympics today, crushing his own world record and all hopes of his challengers with a time of 4 minutes, 3.84 seconds in the 400-metre individual medley.

This was thought to be a potential stumbling block in Phelps' quest to win eight gold medals after Ryan Lochte matched him stroke for stroke at the US Olympic trials just over a month ago. Both went under the previous world record in the 400 IM then, with Phelps touching first in 4:05.25.

Laszlo Cseh of Hungary took the silver in 4:06.16, while Lochte faded to third in 4:08.09 - more than 4 seconds behind.

"I'm pretty happy. That was a pretty emotional race," Phelps said. "I knew it was going to be a tough race all the way through. Well, it was for a while.

The top three traded the lead over the butterfly and backstroke legs. Cseh got off to a quick start, touching the first wall just ahead of Phelps, and Lochte claimed the lead midway through the back.

Phelps had a slight lead at the 200 mark, and it began turning into a blowout from there.

No one was catching Phelps in the freestyle. He stretched his lead and powered to the wall with nearly his entire body in front of the world-record line - a green marker superimposed on the video screen to show the pace of the previous mark. Phelps touched the wall and spun around so quickly to see his time that he bumped his head on the wall.

Stephanie Rice of Australia went out extremely fast and held on at the end to win the women's 400 IM in 4:29.45 - nearly 2 seconds faster than the world record of 4:31.12 set by Katie Hoff at the US Olympic trials.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe also went under the old mark, but only got the silver for the second-fastest swim in history, 4:29.89. Hoff couldn't match her performance at the trials, settling for bronze in 4:31.71.

The team from Down Under didn't fare as well in the men's 400 freestyle. Park Tae-hwan of South Korea won the gold medal, snapping Australia's dominance of the event at the Olympics. Park, the current world champion, touched in 3:41.86.

Zhang Lin of China earned his country's first swimming medal of the games, claiming silver in 3:42.78. American Larsen Jensen took the bronze in 3:42.78.

Hong Kong: US swim legend Mark Spitz thinks Michael Phelps could beat his record tally of seven gold medals at a single Olympics, but says if things were different in his time, he could have had eight.

Phelps has his eye on eight golds in Beijing, which would surpass the record Spitz set at Munich in 1972 that many consider one of the greatest achievements in sport. But Spitz believes that if he’d had an extra event at the time, he would have been the first to eight.

“I won seven events. If they had the 50m freestyle back then, which they do now, I probably would have won that too,” he told AFP in Hong Kong. He said Phelps called to mind his own days as a world-beater decades ago.

“He’s almost identical to me. He’s a world-record holder in all these events, so he is dominating the events just like I did,” Spitz said. “He reminds me of myself.” — AFP

Shenyang, August 10
Ronaldinho scored a pair of second-half goals to lead Brazil to a 5-0 rout of New Zealand and a spot in the quarterfinals of the Olympics today. Ronaldinho scored his first goal of the tournament with a free kick in the 54th minute, and added another with a penalty kick in the 61st. The two-time FIFA Player of the Year hadn't scored for Brazil in an official competition in nearly a year.

Anderson scored the first goal less than three minutes into the match, while Alexandre Pato scored in the 34th and substitute striker Rafael Sobis in second-half injury time to keep Brazil on track for its first gold medal in football. The victory at the Shenyang Olympic Stadium secures Brazil one of the top two spots in Group C.

Brazil dominated the match without difficulties and the Kiwis had only a few scoring chances in front of the crowd of nearly 50,000. “Our players were on a great night today,” Brazil coach Dunga said. “We controlled possession and didn’t let our opponents play.” Ronaldinho’s first goal came with a free kick from the left side. His low right-footer passed through the wall and flew untouched across the goal mouth before hitting the far corner.

Beijing, August 10
Defending Olympic champion Brazil defeated Egypt 3-0 today in its opening men's volleyball match, and the United States beat Venezuela 3-2 a day after the coach's father-in-law was fatally stabbed in Beijing. Brazil, which has won five of the last six World League titles, beat Egypt 25-19, 25-15, 25-18. The gold medal favorites had won every major international competition since 2003 until this year, when the American men captured their first World League title.

The US team, ranked third in the world behind Brazil and Russia, defeated Venezuela 25-18, 25-18, 22-25, 21-25, 15-10. Venezuela was making its first-ever Olympic appearance. United States coach Hugh McCutcheon's father-in-law, Todd Bachman, died yesterday after being stabbed at a popular tourist site in the Chinese capital, the 13th-century Drum Tower. McCutcheon’s mother-in-law, Barbara Bachman, is in serious condition at a hospital. — AP

Beijing, August 10
World number 16, Saina Nehwal continued with her wining ways as she overwhelmed Larysa Gryga (Ukraine) to storm into the pre-quarterfinals of the Women’s section of the Olympic Badminton, while her compatriot Anup Sridhar opened his campaign with an easy victory over Portugal’s Marco Vasconcelos at the Olympic Games here today.

The 25-year-old national champion, Sridhar, took little time to settle down before he sent Marco packing out of the competition 21-16, 21-14 in 30 minutes. Earlier in the morning, Saina took time to gauge her opponent.

She was playing the Ukrainian for the first time before overpowering her 21-18, 21-10 in just 28 minutes.

Sridhar started ominously as he put his first serve into the net and trailed 1-4 at one stage but he made it 8-6 and 11-7 before Marco rallied to close the gap 10-11, but after that Indian claimed eight points, while conceding three to go up 19-13 and took the game 21-16.

It looked as if the Indian was just trying to tire out his opponent without wasting his own energy. He made Marco play all over the court and in the process conceded many points which made the game look like a close fought one but actually it was not so.

Sridhar dominated the court as he dictated the procedings through out and in the second game he snuffed Marco's challenge with some clever placings and smart returns. “I was pissed with myself,” he said when a reporter asked him how he felt putting his first serve into the net. “It has ever happened, It happened for the first time.”

To a query that why he did not smash much, Sridhar replied, “The court is slow because of the condition. To hit a smash you have to be bang on the right place, otherwise your effort can go waste. I did not want to take chance.”

He said he had a stiff ankle, “It was not troubling me but I did not want to take a chance and because it was my first match, I took time to settle down.”

He also admitted that he was conserving his energy for tomorrow’s tie against Shoji Sato of Japan. “I have played against him, we both know each other’s game.”

In the women’s section, Saina had yesterday trounced her Russian opponent and this afternoon she accounted for another former Soviet Republic’s player after surviving some initial hiccups. In the first game, Sania led her rival 9-2 and looked set for an easy win but Gryga staged a fine rally and gave a run for the money to the India, who, however, proved her superirity with powerful returns and smashes to clinch it.

The second game was totally dominated by the Indian, who did not give any quarter to her rival, and wrapped up the match rather easily. Saina now faces the real challenge as she will most likely will face the fourth seed Chen Wang of Hong Kong, who plays her second round match later today.

“It’s going to be tough against her, no question about that,” Saina, bathed in sweat, said after second round match. “I cannot predict the outcome but I can assure all that I would put my 100 per cent tomorrow,” she said.

About her match against Gryga, she said she had to wait for her moment before going for the kill. “I had not played her earlier, so of course I could not go all out right from the word go. So I needed time to pick her,” she said. — UNI

Badminton:

Men: Anup Sridhar vs Shoji Sato Women: Saina Nehwal vs Chen Wang (Hong Kong)

Boxing:

57kg (Feather) A L Lakra vs Bahodirion Sultonov (Uzbekistan)

Rowing:

Men’s singles Sculls quarter-final 4 Bajrang Lal Takhar

Shooting:

Men’s 10m Air Rifle: Abhinav Bindra, Gagan Narang

Swimming:

200m Butterfly: Rehan Jaehangir Poncha

Tennis:

Men’s: Leander Paes/Mahesh Bhupathi vs Gael Monfils and Gilles Simons (France) Women’s: Sania Mirza vs Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) Doubles: Sania Mirza/Sunitha Rao vs Tatiana Golovin/Pauline Parmentier (France).

Yachting:

Finn Race 5, Finn Race 6: NS Johal. — UNI

Beijing, August 10
Nachhatar Singh Johal, the lone sailor representing India, today fell by the wayside as he continued to languish at the 23rd position in the overall standings of the Finn Class at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre here.

Beijing, August 10
Luck deserted Indian women archers at the crucial moment as they lost to host China 206-211 in the quarter-finals thus ending their Olympic medal hopes in team event rather unceremoniously here today.

Having beaten China thrice in last 18 months, the Indians led by Dola Banerjee were hoping to make it four times in a row but that was no to be as the host hit the target when they needed it while the visitors let go the chances.

It was a thrilling quarter-final encounter as both the teams were evenly poised and ran neck and neck until teenager Pranitha Vardhineni shot a five which allowed China to take the lead and after that Indians tried hard but could not over take the host.

The Indian trio of Dola Banerjee, Bombayla Devi and Pranitha at one stage looked like making it to the last four but could not withstand the pressure and wilted under that.

World champion Dola led by an example as she top scored with 73 out of 80, followed by 21-year-old national champion Bombayla Devi, who shot 70/80 and 17-year-old Pranitha 63/80.

The Chinese trio comprised of Ling Chen, Dan Guo and Juan Juan Zhang.

Dola started the Indian campaign with a fine nine pointer and then hit a perfect ten pointer, but immediately it became evident that Pranitha was going to be her side's weak spot.

The Indians again trailed Chinese in the second round by a solitary point 49-50, but it was the third round which sealed the Indian fate as the visitors shot 51, while Chinese collected 56 points to take an eight-point lead.

The Indian hopes of medal in archery now depends on individual events which will start from August 12.

Indian shooters continued to draw a blank with Manavjit Singh Sandhu wilting under pressure and compatriot Mansher Singh too failing to make it to the finals of the men's trap event here today.

Tipped a medal prospect, Manavjit could manage only 116 out of 125 to finish 12th at the end of the five-round qualifying sessions spread over two days at the Beijing Shooting Range.

Mansher, in fact, came close to qualifying for the finals but in the end, a place in the top six just proved elusive for him. — Agencies

Colombo, August 10
A week is evidently also a long time in cricket! India, after encouragingly levelling the series 1-1 at Galle last Sunday, were seven days later tottering at 161 for five in the second innings of the deciding Test here against Sri Lanka, having conceded a daunting first innings deficit of 147.

The home side’s ascendancy was facilitated by Kumar Sangakkara stretching his overnight score of 107 to 144, before wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel juggled but clung on off the dogged Anil Kumble. The pick of the Indian bowlers, though, was again Harbhajan Singh.

Only Rahul Dravid - undefeated on 46 - and a half-healthy VVS Laxman manned the gates of Team India, with the Sri Lankans bowlers on the brink of demolishing them. The miracle performed by this duo against Australia at Kolkata in 2001 seems too good for an encore.

Fast-medium Dhammika Prasad impressed a second time in his maiden appearance by displacing the Indian openers. But the conjurer, Ajantha Mendis, with a couple more scalps, became - with 25 victims - the highest wicket taker in a three test series on debut, eclipsing the Englishman Alec Bedser’s record of 24 wickets against India in 1946.

The Indians were a set of walking wounded. VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar and Ishant Sharma remained hors de combat when India fielded. But this was no excuse. It was baffling the way Virender Sehwag batted; as if his side were chasing victory against the clock! He top-edged a pull which went sailed over the wicket-keeper and then wafted at another over the slips. Finally, he offered catching practice to gully to retreat after a 29-ball 34.

Gautam Gambhir’s attempted a pull from outside the off stump was also untimely and uncalled for given the gravity of the situation. He played on. This transferred the burden of saving the match on the remaining able-bodied exponents in the non-performing middle order - Dravid and Saurav Ganguly; the latter promoted to number four.

The two seasoned campaigners stitched together 43 runs for the third wicket, but Ganguly’s departure generated a tremor which reduced India from 108 for two to 131 for five; and ushered a limping Laxman into the fray with Gambhir as his runner.

Three dramatic leg before wicket decisions pulverised India. Ganguly was shown the dreaded finger after sweeping at one that straightened from Muttiah Muralitharan. The batsman appeared to indicate he had got a bottom edge, but the replay did not confirm this.

Enter the bogeyman, Mendis and Patel’s stay was forthwith terminated. He refused a referral. Tendulkar, however, sought one more in hope than expectation, having culpably padded up to a googly he didn’t read. Had either Ganguly or Patel survived till close, this would have given Tendulkar and Laxman another night to rest and recover. But the latter, despite the obvious discomfort around his left ankle, fared handsomely to help erase the arrears. 

Scoreboard

India (1st innings) 249

Sri Lanka (1st innings)

Vandort lbw Zaheer 14

Warnapura b Ishant 8

Vaas c Sehwag b Harbhajan 47

Sangakkara c Patel b Kumble 144

M. Jayawardene lbw Harbhajan 2

Samaraweera c Patel b Zaheer 35

Dilshan lbw Kumble 23

P. Jayawardene c Harbhajan

b Zaheer 49

Prasad st Patel b Harbhajan 36

Mendis lbw Kumble 17

Muralitharan not out 0

Extras (b-4, lb-14, w-2, nb-1) 21

Total (all out, 134.2 overs) 396

Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-42, 3-137, 4-141, 5-201, 6-244, 7-324, 8-367, 9-396, 10-396

Bowling: Zaheer 32-5-105-3, Ishant 15.3-3-33-1, Harbhajan 40.3-8-104-3, Kumble 41.2-4-123-3, Sehwag 2-0-2-0, Ganguly 3-0-11-0.

India (2nd innings)

Gambhir b Prasad 26

Sehwag c Samaraweera

b Prasad 34

Dravid not out 46

Ganguly lbw Murali 18

Patel lbw Mendis 1

Tendulkar lbw Mendis 14

Laxman not out 17

Extras (b-1, lb-1, w-2, nb-1) 5

Total (5 wkts, 45 overs) 161

Fall of wickets: 1-62, 2-65, 3-108, 4-109, 5-131

Bowling: Vaas 3-0-18-0, Prasad 8-0-46-2, Muralitharan 16-0-56-1, Mendis 18-5-39-2.

The pair that changed Indian cricket’s fortunes this century are India’s big hope again, as they try and stave off impending defeat to hosts Sri Lanka in the third and final Test.

It was against Steve Waugh’s Australians at the famous Eden Gardens that V.V.S Laxman and Rahul Dravid came together after India were asked to follow on.

Australia were looking for their 17th consecutive Test win and were in control with the openers Tendulkar and Ganguly back in the pavilion. Laxman had been promoted to the number three position in place of Dravid, after batting well in the first innings, and Dravid was now batting in Laxman's position.

The duo, who has strung partnerships since their junior days, had just the partnership that India were looking for. Laxman went on to get 281, which was then the highest individual score by an Indian, and Dravid remained unbeaten on 180.

They had turned the match on its head, and Australia batting on the last day collapsed to Harbhajan Singh, and gave India a win that looked unlikely on the fourth day.

That win levelled the series, and India won the third and final Test at Chennai to win the series, leaving Steve Waugh's ambition of crossing 'the final frontier' unfulfilled.

When they had their monumental and momentous partnership, the pair were under pressure to keep their places in the team, but keeping those thoughts away, they batted splendidly against an attack that had McGrath and Warne in prime form.

Today, seven years later, the duo is together again in almost the same situation knowing that if they fail, so also will India. The baying for their heads is louder than in 2001, as younger men knock impatiently on the selectors doors, and even the latest iPods aren't going to keep the loud voices of the disappointed cricket lovers out of the decision makers' ears.

They are also facing an attack with arguably the greatest spin bowler to have played the game, and his new accomplice Ajantha Mendis, who bids fair to confuse and confound more batsmen than just the Indians, and a crafty seam bowler who may have lost out on pace but has added guile to his bowling, and a debutant who with his unexpected speed has caused batsman after batsman to hurry their shots.

Besides, they are up against one of the canniest skippers in the game today, a captain who is ambitious and ruthless at the same time, and let not his beguiling smile fool you about that.

India are down in the dumps alright, but they have the pair to extricate them from it.

Watch this space to see if they have done it again. — PMG